Abu Dhabi's Etihad in expansion mode

20 Jan 2009

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Etihad Airways is scheduled to take delivery of 11 new aircraft during 2009 to meet its route expansion plans, said a company official. The aircraft include two Airbus A330-200s, which will be received in January and March; and two Airbus A340-600s which will join in August and September.

Five Airbus A320-200s are expected to be inducted in January, May, October, November and December. Also, in December, one Airbus A330-300 will join the fleet, along with one Boeing 777.

In the year 2008, the airlines inducted five aircraft, said a company document. At the end of 2008, the airline had 42 aircraft on its fleet, which is expected to grow to 52 by the end of 2011, based on scheduled deliveries from orders placed prior to the Farnborough air show.

Eithad Airways placed a record-breaking order in aviation history, when it signed two mega deals for up to 205 wide-body and narrow-body planes worth $43 billion, at list prices. It comprised a firm order for acquiring 100 aircraft, 55 options and 50 purchase rights.

The agreement with Airbus comprises a firm order for 55 aircraft: 20-A320s, 25 A350s and 10 A380s. There are also options for five A320s, 10- A350s and five A380s, together with purchase rights for a further 15-A320s, 15 A350s and five A380s.

There is also an agreement with Boeing, comprising a firm order for 45 aircraft: 35 B787s and 10 B777- 300 ERs. There are also options for 25 B787s and 10 B777- 300 ERs and purchase rights for a further 10-B787s and five B777s. The new aircraft are scheduled for delivery between 2011 and 2020.

Etihad Airways transported six million passengers in the last year, growing by a whopping 34 per cent on the previous year. It has showed steady growth since its establishment five years ago. With Abu Dhabi's economy diversifying, the number of leisure and business travelers has risen significantly in recent years.

Abu Dhabi International Airport during 2008 handled 9.02 million passengers, said Khalifa Al Mazrouei, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Airport Company (ADAC). Passenger traffic was up 30.2 per cent from 6.9 million in 2007.

With the reforms taking place in the economy and diversification becoming top priority of the policy makers, the airline feels that Abu Dhabi holds tremendous growth potential for expansion in passenger numbers in the future. Etihad Airways claims to operate one of the youngest and most environmentally efficient fleets in the world. The average age of its aircraft stands at three years.

The fleet currently comprises 39 aircraft - 36 passenger planes and three freighters. The Abu Dhabi airline is preparing for a non-stop daily service to Melbourne, Australia from March 2009. The other new destination is Lagos in Nigeria.

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